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The Cubs just dropped a 7-5 decision to the Cincinnati Reds on August 30, and Shōta Imanaga is going to take a LOT of the heat for it. But on Chicago Cubs Central, I’m telling you: YOU CAN’T BLAME SHOTA!
Imanaga went 5 innings, allowing 8 hits, 6 runs and 3 home runs while striking out 4. Héctor Rodríguez, Dane Myers and Tyler Stephenson all took him deep as Cincinnati grabbed control of the game.
So why am I defending Shota after THAT performance?
I’m breaking down exactly what happened against Cincinnati.
Why Imanaga shouldn’t be the only one taking the blame.
Who REALLY deserves the criticism?
Is this a Shota problem… or a MUCH BIGGER Cubs problem?
And what does this mean for the Cubs heading into September?
Pete Crow-Armstrong did his part with TWO home runs, including a ninth-inning blast that brought Chicago within two, but it wasn’t enough as the Reds took the series.
Was Shota Imanaga really the reason the Cubs lost?
Watch the entire episode of Chicago Cubs Central and let me know in the comments:
WHO IS REALLY AT FAULT?
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COMMENT: Can you really blame Shota?
#ChicagoCubs #Cubs #ShotaImanaga #CubsCentral #GoCubsGo #MLB #CubsNews #PeteCrowArmstrong #ChicagoCubsNews
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"🔥 YOU CAN’T BLAME SHOTA! | Chicago Cubs Central" is an episode of Chicago Cubs Central Podcast. Runtime 16 min. Published August 31, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.